Suspension for pipe tongs



Nov. 23, 1948.

A. E. HAMBLY SUSPEN'SIO'N FOR PIPE TONGS 2 She ets-Sheet 1 Filed May 26, 1943 ALLENEIE4M5L Y,

. INVENTOR. BY%

ATTORN EY.

Nov. 23, 1948. A. E. HAMBLY I 2,454,317

' SUSPENSION on PIPE TONGSY Filed May 26, 1945 2 Sheets-Shegt 2 5644461. Y, INVENTOR.

'ATTORN EY.

Patented Nov. 23, 1948 SUSPENSION FOR PIPE TONGS Allen E. Hambly, Huntington ,Park, Calif assignor to Byron Jackson 00., Vernon, Calif., a

corporation of Delaware Application May 26, 1943, Serial No. 488,495

Claims.

This invention relates generally to pipe tongs, and is directed particularly to an improved suspension means for tongs used in making up and breaking out the joints connecting sections of drill pipe.

Drill pipe tongs are used in pairs, one righthand and one left-hand tong, and are suspended in the well derrick in a manner to permit maximum ease of manipulation. The usual mode of suspension is by means of a wire line connected at one end to the tong hanger and extending upwardly and over a sheave mounted in the upper portion of the derrick, the other end of the line being connected to a counterweight so as to counterbalance the tong and enable the operator to adjust it in a vertical direction. In order to cause the tong to hang in a horizontal position, it obviously must be connected to the wire line at a point directly above the centerof mass of the tong. This is usually accomplished by employing a hanger attached to the tong lever and extending upwardly therefrom and provided at its upper end with an eye for attachment to the suspension line. The hanger is usually adjustable relative to the tong so as to vary the position of the eye and permit its disposal directly above the center of mass of the suspended weight. The hangers heretofore in use have been of various designs and shapes, but with only one known exception, all have been characterized by the fact that they extend upwardly within the vertical bounding planes of the tong lever, thus prohibiting the placing of one tong directly above the other.

In order to avoid interference between the upper tong and the suspension means of the lower tong, it is customary to dispose drill pipe tongs with their levers extending substantially at right angles to each other. Thus, when making up a joint, the right-hand or lead tong is placed on the upper tool joint section with its lever extending to the right, as viewed from the drillers position, so that the tong line will exert a pull in a substantially tangential direction when wrapped around the cathead at the drillers side of the drawworks. The left-hand, or bacbup tong, is placed on the lower tool joint section with its lever extending directly away from the driller, and with the back-up line extending toward the left and being attached to a fixed anchor; I

' deform the drill pipe.

When breaking out a joint, the relative vertical positions of the tongs are reversed-that is, the left-hand tong is placed on the upper tool joint section, with its lever projecting to the left so that the tong line, extending from the lever to the automatic cathead on the left side of the drawworks, will exert a substantially tangential pull on the tong. The right-hand tong is, in this instance, placed on the lower tool joint section with its lever projecting directly away from the driller, the back-up line extending toward the right and being attached to a fixed anchor.

It will be apparent that under the foregoing circumstances, with the two tonglines exerting a tangential pull on their respective tongs along lines at a right angle to each other, the resultant force exerted on the pipe, in addition to the opposing torsional force, is a bending stress exerted along a line bisecting the right angle between the tong lines. Inasmuch as the pipe is supported in the rotary table at a point approximately three feet below the tool joint, this resultant force develops a bending moment of considerable magnitude, often sufiicient to permanently This is most likely to occur with small diameter drill pipe, such as 3 drill pipe, which is not rigid enough to withstand such a bending stress.

It has been proposed heretofore to overcome this diiiiculty by providing a special hanger for the lower tong, constructed and arranged so that it provides sufiicient space Within the hanger to allow the upper tong lever to be manipulated through a short arcuate path directly above the lower tong lever. By mounting the tongs with their levers one above the other, the respective tong lines extend in opposite directions instead of at right angles to each other, as in conventional practice. Hence there is no resultant bending stress exerted on the pipe, except the short couple resulting from the vertical spacing between the tongs, which couple is of relatively small magnitude and is exerted on the rigid, thick-walled tool joint rather than on the pipe itself.

The principal objection to the aforementioned hanger assembly is that the tong equipped with the special hanger must be applied to the lower tool joint section, and the upper hanger is of conventional construction, and hence this scheme does not permit reversal of the relative Vertical positions of the two tongs. For this reason, it is limited to use in performing only a single operation-either making up or breaking out the joints. In other words, if the left-hand tong is equipped with the special hanger, to permit the right-hand tong to be mounted directly above it, this assembly can only be used for making up tool joints, and it requires another complete set of tongs with a special hanger for the right-hand tong, in order to break out the joints with the tongs mounted one above the other. Experience has shown that it requires at least as much torque to break out a joint, when withdrawing the drill string from the well, as is required to make the joint up when running the drill string into the well. Hence the avoidance of bending the pipe during one tonging operation would be of small consequence unless bending were also avoided during the reverse operation. In other words, the tongs should be mounted one above the other during both operations in order to fully overcome this difiiculty.

A principal object of this invention is to provide suspension means for a pair of drill pipe tongs which permits either tong to be mounted above the other tong, with their respective levers operating in a common, relatively narrow vertical zone.

A further object is to provide tong suspension means of the aforesaid character which permits either tong to be mounted directly above the other tong, and which is constructed and arranged so as not to interfere with the necessary rapid and easy application and removal of the tongs to and from the pipe joint.

A still further object is to provide a simple and inexpensive tong suspension means which can be substituted for conventional suspension means with a minimum of alternation of the tongs.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of one embodiment of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. I is an end perspective view of a pair of drill pipe tongs embodying the invention, showing the tongs placed on the tool joint sections in a position to make up the joint;

Fig. II is a view similar to Fig. I, but with the relative vertical positions of the tongs reversed, in order to break out the joint;

Fig. III is a side perspective view of the tongs in the position shown in Fig. I, as viewed from the drillers position; and

Fig. IV is a View similar to Fig. III, but showing the tongs in the position shown in Fig. II.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown my novelhanger assembly as applied to a pair of drill pipe tongs A and B of well-known construction. It will be observed that the tongs are of identical construction, and are reversible so that each is capable of use as either a right-hand or a lefthand tong. In the present instance the tong A is a right-hand or make-up tong and the tong Bis a left-hand or break-out tong.

The tong A comprises a lever H] on which is mounted an articulated head H composed of pivotally interconnected pipe-gripping jaws. The tong B is, as previously stated, identical with the tong A, and comprises a lever l2 and a head l3 composed of pivotally interconnected pipe-gripping jaws. Inasmuch as the construction and mode of operation of the tongs is well-known and forms no part of this invention, a more detailed description thereof is believed to be unnecessary.

Referring now to the novel hanger assembly, it will be observed with reference to Figs. I and II that the tong A is suspended from a suspension line it by means of a hanger, generally designated C, and in a similar manner the tong B is connected to a suspension line 56 by a hanger D. It will be appreciated that the hangers C and D may assume various forms and still accomplish the principal purpose of the inventionthat is, to permit either tong to be mounted above the other tong with their respective levers operating within a common, relatively narrow vertical zone, so as to cause the respective tong lines to extend in opposite directions. There is shown, for purpose of illustration, a pair of simple and inexpensive hangers which may be substituted bodily for the hangers previously employed.

The hanger C is preferably a one-piece casting, and comprises a strut or arm 2% of generally I- beam cross-section and C-shaped as Viewed in Figs. I and II. At its lower extremity the arm is provided with a trunnion portion 2! adapted to fit between a pair of upstanding lugs 22 on the tong lever ill, and bored to receive a transverse con necting pin or bolt 23 which also extends through aligned bores in the lugs 22. The hanger is, in this manner, connected to the tong lever for limited pivotal movement about the axis of the pin 23.

As shown most clearly in Figs. III and IV, the arm 28 is inclined upwardly and inwardly toward the tong head, in order to dispose the upper end of the arm directlyabove the center of gravity of the tong. A transversely elongated head 25 is formed at the upper extremity of the arm 2! and is provided with a transverse series of eyes 26. A, hook 21 on the lower end of the suspension line 15 is adapted to be inserted into a selected one of the eyes 26 to suspend the tong properly balanced in a transverse directon. A longitudinal balancing adjustment of. the hanger relative to the lever about the connecting pin 23 is obtained by adjustment of a cap screw 28 threaded through an outwardly extending projection 29 on the trunnion portion of the hanger. Inasmuch as the center of gravity of the suspended mass is located inwardly of the connecting pin 23, the head end of the tong tends to tilt downwardly about the pin 23, but such tilting movement is adjustably controlled by engagement of the adjusting screw 28 with the upper surface of the lever.

Although I have shown the hangers C and D only in their upright, operative positions, it will be apparent that the pivotal connection between each hanger and its lever is such as to permit the hanger to be folded forwardly and downwardly into a substantially horizontal position closely overlying the tong head, when not suspended in the derrick.

The hanger D associated with the tong B is similar to the hanger C, with the exception that the strut or arm portion 3!! is curved transversely in a direction opposite to thedirection of transverse curvature of the arm 20 of the hanger 'C. The arm 3!] is inclined upwardly and inwardly to dispose the head 3! directly above the center of gravity of the tong, and the lower extremity of the arm is provided with a trunnion portion 32, for pivotal connection to the lever l2 by a pin 33, and an adjusting screw 34 threaded through a projection 35 and engaging the upper surface of the lever.

When. making up the tool joints as the string of drill pipe isrun into the well, the joint'is spun up nearly tight bya spinning rope before the tongs are applied. Hence the final tightening of the joint with the tongs seldom requires more than 30 of angular movement between the tongs, and if the'tongs ateiapplied to the pipe with their levers slightly overlapping, as in Fig. 1, the range of arcuate-movement of the upper tong lever ID will be approximately equally distributedon opposite sides of the central longitudinal plane of the lower lever l2. The directions of pull of the two tong lines 3B-an d 40 can thus be directly opposed to each other and also substantially tangential to the levers.

When breaking out the too-l joints as the string of drill pipe is withdrawn from the well, an initial angular movement of from 30 to 45 between the tool joint sections is suflicient to loosen the joint so that it may be spun out by rotating the lower section with the rotary table. Hence, by overlapping the tong levers as shown in Fig. II, the range of arcuate movement of the upper lever I2 is approximately equally distributed on opposite sides of the central longitudinal vertical plane of the lower lever I0.

Referring particularly to Figs. I and II, it will be observed that the transverse curvature of each of the hanger arms 20 and 30 is sufficient to provide an open-sided recess of sufiicient width and height to accommodate the lever of the other tong in overlapping relation as pointed out above. Thus, when the tongs are disposed as shown in Fig. I for making up tool joints, the lever of the right-hand tong A is nested within the recess formed in the hanger D, and, when the tongs are reversed vertically to the relative positions shown in Fig. II for breaking out joints, the lever l2 of the left-hand tong is nested within the recess formed in the hanger C.

I have shown the hangers offset in the direction in which the tongs are moved during the tonging operation, but it will be apparent that, if desired, the hanger C may be appliedto the tong B and the hanger D to the tong A. However, the arrangement illustrated is believed to be preferable for several reasons. In the first place, it renders the application and removal of the tongs to and from the pipe quicker and easier than with the reverse arrangement of the hangers. Furthermore, the proper initial spotting of the tongs on the pipe in overlapping relation is made easier and more definitely ascertained. Also, since during the tonging operation the lever of the upper tong moves out of the recess in the lower hanger, instead or toward the hanger as in the reverse hanger arrangement, there is no danger of the upper tong lever engaging the lower hanger and exerting a strain thereon in the event the range of arcuate movement is greater than was anticipated.

It will also be apparent that the median portions of the hangers may both be offset in the same direction, if desired, instead of being oflset in opposite directions as in the illustrated embodiment. This would have the advantage, from a cost standpoint, of both hangers being identical,

but this advantage would probably be more than oifset by the disadvantage of causing the upp r ton to move into the recess in the lower tong hanger during one of the tonging operations, with the attendant risk of damage to thehanger in the event the range of movement is greater than was anticipated.

From the foregoing description of one embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent that I have provided simple and effective means for en- 6. abling a pair of suspended pipe tongs to be operatedin a common vertical zone, with either tong mounted above the other tong so as to permit their use alternatively for either making up or breaking out joints. The invention contemplates in its broad aspects a pair of hangers offset laterally in opposite directions, and it will be understood that it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms. 1

I claim:

1. A pipe tong assembly for making and breaking joints in a string of pipe suspended vertically in a well derrick, said assembly comprising a pair of pipe tongs each having a'laterally projecting lever, suspension means supported in the derrick, and means for independently supporting the tongs by the suspension means in vertically spaced relation in the derrick comprising a pair of hanger members each connected at its lower end to one of said tongs and at its upper end to the suspension means at a point directly above the center of mass of the tong, the intermediate portion of each of said hangers being offset laterally with respect to its upper and lower ends to define an open-sided recess of a depth at least equal to the width of the other tong lever and thus permit either tong to operate substantially directly above the other tong.

2. A pipe tong comprising a tong head, a lever and a hanger pivotally connected thereto and extending upwardly therefrom, the upper end of said hanger being disposed substantially directly above the center of mass of the tong and having means for attachment to suspension means, the intermediate portion of said hanger being offset relative to its upper and lower ends in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the lever to define a substantially C-shaped recess of a depth at least equal to the maximum width of the lever, and means for adjusting said hanger.

about its axis of pivotal connection with the lever to vary the position of said attachment means relative to the center of mass of the tong.

3. Apparatus for making and breaking joints in a string of drill pipe or the like, comprising a pair of pipe tongs each having a laterally projecting lever, and a hanger structure extending upwardly from each tong, each of said hanger structures comprising a lower portion connected to the respective tong lever, an upper portion disposed substantially directly above the center of mass of the tong and having means for attachment to suspension means, and an intermediate portion connecting said upper and lower portions, said intermediate portion being offset laterally with respect to said lever and with respect to both said upper and lower portions to define a substantially C-shaped recess, the closed side of which extends laterally beyond the adjacent side of said respective tong lever, whereby either tong may be disposed above the other tong with the lever of the upper tong disposed directly above the lever of the lower tons and within the recess defined by the hanger of the lower tong.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, in which said intermediate portions of said hanger structures'are offset in opposite directions to define oppositely facing recesses.

5. Apparatus for making and breaking joints in a string of drill pipe and the like, comprising a pair of pipe tongs each comprising a head and a lever projecting therefrom, a separate suspension element for each of said tongs adjustable to permit said tongs to be interchangeably applied to upper and lower; pipe joint sections-Vanda; hanger structure for.=ea;chtong,each hanger structure comprising a lower portionconnected-to the tong, an-upper portion'connected to one-:of said suspension elements and disposed "substantially directly above the center'of-mass of the-tong, and an intermediatezportion connecting said upper and lower portions and ofiset laterally with respect to the tong lever and with respect to .said upper and lower portions and defining withwsaid upper and: lower :portions an open-sided; recess -of acdepth -at.least equalize the maximum width of said tong levers, whereby-either tongmaybe disposedaabove the other tong with their-levers in superposed relation.

. ALLEN E. r-HAMBLY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in'the file of this patent: 

